Think STRs Are Dead? Not If You Do THIS (ft. Rafa Loza) | The Legacy Podcast

Want help scaling your real estate business—or fixing what’s not working in today’s market? Book a strategy call with my team: https://legacywealthholdings.com/success-call/

In this episode, I sat down with my buddy Rafa Loza—founder of Knight & Reign Properties and Legacy Family member—to talk about what it actually takes to succeed in short term rentals right now.

Rafa got started in real estate with no money. I’m talking credit cards, borrowed cash from his brother, and a single arbitrage unit… and turned that into 16 STRs in under a year.

But then came the wake-up call: city regulations crushed 46 of his units almost overnight.

What I love about Rafa is he didn’t fold. He adapted, built smarter systems, and started scaling into boutique hotels. In this conversation, we get into the exact playbook he’s using to keep winning—even in today’s saturated, highly regulated market.

If you're feeling stuck with your Airbnb or short term rental business, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we cover:
• How Rafa launched with $5K and a credit card
• What happened when 46 of his units got shut down
• How to evaluate STR markets with regulation in mind
• The truth about arbitrage in 2025 (and where it still works)
• How to optimize listings for bookings and profit
• Automating communication with AI tools like HelloHost
• Why boutique hotels might be your next step
• And how to make smarter underwriting decisions for all STR deal types

//CONNECT WITH RAFA
Website: https://knightandreign.com
Instagram: @itsrafaloza
YouTube: @rafaloza
Podcast: The Big Break Show (YouTube: @thebigbreakshow)
Email: rafa@knightandreign.com

Links & Resources:
• Join our free Skool group: https://www.skool.com/commercial-empire
• Learn more about our AI for Real Estate event (Sept 18):
https://legacywealthholdings.com/coaching/commercialempireai/?ref=legacywealtheducation

//DOWNLOAD OUR FREE DEAL CALCULATOR
https://legacywealthholdings.com/deal-calculator-download-youtube/

//CONNECT WITH TIM
linktree.com/timbratz

//ABOUT ME
Tim Bratz is the Founder & CEO of Legacy Wealth Holdings, a leading real estate investment company. He focuses on vision-casting, marketing, & supporting his team of “A” players. He has built his company on integrity (doing what he said he was going to do), fairness (doing the right thing), & transparency (honesty is always the best policy).
Tim has dedicated his professional life to studying wealth-building & personal finance. Working in real estate, Tim has learned how to create a passive income that allows him to live the lifestyle of his choice. His goal is to educate & empower others to become financially free through entrepreneurship & real estate investments. https://legacywealthholdings.com

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